Apple, Google, and Samsung Teaming Up in Effort to Acquire Kodak Patents

Following last month's report that Apple and Google were heading up separate consortiums bidding to obtain Kodak's portfolio of digital imaging patents, The Wall Street Journal now reports that the two camps may surprisingly be joining the same team. The negotiations are reportedly seeing Apple joining forces with its courtroom foes Samsung and HTC, as well as smartphone platform rival Google, in an effort to obtain the patents for a price well below that sought by Kodak.

Quote:

The bidding group brings together a raft of strange bedfellows. It includes Apple Inc. and Google Inc., fierce competitors in the global smartphone market. It also includes Intellectual Ventures Management LLC, which buys up patents to seek licensing revenue and increasingly sue other companies for infringement, and RPX Corp., which buys patents to keep them from being used against its members in suits. [...]

People familiar with the matter said the consortium bidding on Kodak's patents also includes Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc. and HTC Corp., all companies building smartphones based on Google software.

The report notes that the large consortium of competitors is seeking to purchase Kodak's patent portfolio for "more than $500 million", above opening bids but well below the $2.2-$2.6 billion Kodak has been hoping to win. A win by the consortium could help prevent litigation over the patents by keeping them out of the hands of a single company, but antitrust regulators could raise complaints over the move.

As a result of the volatile negotiations, Kodak has extended bidding several times and has indicated that may end up pulling some or all of its patents from the auction block if pricing is not in line with what it feels it needs to assist with its bankruptcy issues.

Apple, Google and Samsung teaming up? The end of the world is nigh people. Grab the one you love and hold on tight...

This is exactly why I think a lot of the lawsuits against Samsung and Apple's harsh words against Google is just for show. They want to get everyone worked up and make drama because that creates interest and sells products, but they need Samsung and Google. Samsung to provide components for their products and Google to provide certain services for the products.

They quickly become friendly again when something like this comes up. Don't believe Steve's last words about wanting to destroy Android... He just said that because it gets all the Apple people worked up and energized.

I find it interesting how these companies are able to operate in different spheres. In one instance they are bitterly suing each other and in another they are buddy buddy.

Speaking of buddies, mine use to work in sales for Samsung. He always found it interesting how they navigated the sales of their product to Apple and to another division of Samsung that competes with Apple. Sometimes the deals had to be very hush hush within their own company to keep from pissing people off.

"What?!? You sold all those thingamajigs I need for my device to Apple already?!?! For how much!??!"

It also includes Intellectual Ventures Management LLC, which buys up patents to seek licensing revenue and increasingly sue other companies for infringement, and RPX Corp., which buys patents to keep them from being used against its members in suits.

*SMH* THIS is the reason patents should NOT be transferable. Patents are supposed to protect IPs, not to be traded as a business on its own!

Seems odd but I guess the idea is nobody on the buying front created these patents…if they slipped into enemy hands it could means disaster. So team up and purchase these and spread throughout the village.

HOWEVER, this is not like the current War on Patents where a company created them and is now Fighting to Control who uses them and how.

The hipster side of me is sad to see a company like Kodak go under. They were kings when I was growing up.

The reason Kodak is a shell of it's former self today is because they stuck with film for too long. The funny thing is they invented the digital camera and if they would have thrown everything they had into digital and moved quicker they could have been a force to be reckoned with today. Instead they kept milking film for as long as they could and in the end everyone else ran off with the digital technology.

Kodak will emerge from bankruptcy as a small company with a focus on printing. I predict soon after they emerge they will be purchased by a much larger technology company and that will be it for the brand except for some brand licensing deals. It's sad to see an iconic American company go down like this, but that is how it goes. Remember it can happen to anyone who decides to rest on their laurels. Where will Apple be in 25 years? Who knows.